1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a bracket for external fixation of broken bones. In particular, this invention relates to a snap-on bracket that can hold the horizontal and vertical rods of the fixation brace in place.
2. The Prior Art
When a bone is fractured and requires fixation, the fixation can take place by attaching rods to the bone fragments to put them in place for healing over time. This fixation can take place internally, such as by a rod running through the bone, or externally, via rods placed alongside the exterior of the limb or digit to be fixed. For complex bone fractures it is often necessary to fix the fractured pieces externally. There are a variety of systems available on the market that allow adjusting of angles and distances, mostly by using screws and bolts. For most fractures, these external fixations are suitable. But there is a problem with fractures of small bones, especially fractured fingers. External fixations for finger fractures are miniaturized systems, also using screws. However, there is in most cases not enough room to use these still too bulky fixations. Many surgeons have resorted to using their own concepts. For example, glues such as bone cement are put in place to create the links between the needles that are shot into the bone and the perpendicular fixation rods. But the glues are difficult to handle and require a lot of preparation time as they are usually 2-component systems. And after the glue has been applied, it takes a few minutes to harden. During this time, the surgeon needs to assure that everything stays in the correct position, which is difficult and time-consuming.